The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-07-27

number of votes in each of the congressional
districts of Georgia. but at the election of Oct
g. 1886. the votes cast were as follows
1st district. Scattering IL Democratic 2 O61
I'd district Scattering Democratic -, All
4th district Independent $50 Democratic 29o9
9th district. Scattering Democratic 1899
Eth district district Independt i, 5s7 Democratic ,o4s
Sth district Republican 33 Democratic -2,322
9th district Republican 27 Democratic ,355
10th district Republican. Democratic l, 944
In other words with total vote of less than
2S, 900, ten members of Con gress were chosen to
represent the State of Georgia. and to weld as
much power in shaping national legislation
any ten Congressman from Ohio ard other
States, who were chosen upon a total vote of
300, 000
Fairly attained results must always be cheer
fclly accepted. but it cannot be expected that
such manifest abuses will be long tolerated.
The demand for their suppression is rapidly be-
coming irresistible. and people who not
aware of this fact have not kept up with public
sentiment IN this respect So long as these
election frauds affected only local results the
great mass of the people appeared to be- and
probably were. largely Indifferent about them.
They did not realize, at least not keenly, that
they were injured by the triumph of fraud in
the election of even Congressman and electors.
So long as the general result was satisfactory it
was easy as well as agreeable to believe that in
SO far such wrongs would not right them
selves. it was the duty of others to correct them
But change has been wrought. This dream of
indifference rudely interrupted by the pres
dential election of 1884 The people of OHIO,
and of every other Northern State, were then
made to understand and appreciate that when a
man is not allowed to vote in Mississippi, any
other State. when he wrongfully votes for
himself and mis- neighbor also, Or when In any
other manner he interferes with free express
sion of the popular will and its honest ascertain
meut their rights are directly and Importantly
affected that, in other words, this thing of
ing, no matter in what place it may be done, is
the common concern of the whole people of the
entire country and that to rob of his
right to vote, in any locality is to rob everybody
else as we'll
On account of the enfranchisement and con-
SeQuent representation of the blacks fof the
South) these States had in the last presidential
election thirty eight electoral votes to not OF
which would they have been otherwise entitled,
andtevery of which would have been cast
for Blaine and Logan if the will of the people
they represented could have controlled them. If
these votes had been simply blotted out, and not
cast at all, Mr.. Cleveland could not have been
elected. The consequence is, that Mr. Cleve-
land is President because the white Democrats
of the South not only cast for him the votes that
rightfully belonged to them, but also these
thirty eight votes, which they fraudulently ap-
propriated to their use
But there those who claim that it does not
matter which party may be in power, for the
reason that there is authorized remedy for
such wrongs If there be no provision to meet
such case, then the reason becomes all the
more urgent for the services of party that can
and will devise way to correct such abuses,
and thus save our government from another
wrench of violence, that will otherwise surely
and speedily come In the meanwhile it should
be remembered that the general government
formerly had an acknowledged right to 60 into
any State Territory to hunt down a
slave, and can now go anywhere to
collect the tax whisky and tobacco,
draft man into the army to protect it, regulate
the management of the railroads. and do hun
dreds of other things necessary and appropriate
to welfare. Is it possible government
can do all these things. and yet the suppression
of million of votes be wrong without remedy2
If SO. the constitution is SANDER the fathers
who made it, and another amendment is in
der. At any rate. if we would have peace in
be
not only must the perpetrators of them be
treated criminals, but every man must be
held equally guilty who lends encouragement to
such wrongs by whining about sectiolalism and
sneerng about 'bloody shirt" and insisting
that such political villainies must be let alone"
No one who can remember the weak and de-
pendent condition of the country in 1860 needs
to be told how perfectly free trade did its ap-
pointed work. On the other hand. notwith-
standing the wastes of the war, have in
twenty-six wears swelled the aggregate of our
wealth from $14 600 000 900 to $50, 600 000, 600.
The prosperity thus represented benefcaly af-
fects every human being in the United States.
1t is manifested by new farms, towns, cities,
railroads and every kind of manufacture, in
dustry and Improvement that can be suggested
by natural advantages or created by the
skill, ingenuity and patriotism of our country
The old-tme stock argument of the free
trader, that tariff duties tax the con-
sumner, has been SO completely exploded by prac-
teal results that 1t is no longer heard of,
cept only from those who obstinately
refuse to see the conclusive demon,
every hand The case of the farmer, so long
and so pathetcally talked about by these gentle
men one that illustrated some kind OF evil
discrimination and hardship under the protective
system. has become of the complete
refutations of their fallaces since the state
ment cannot be successfully CHALLENGED that
practically everything he produces. from
dozen eggs to the finest horse his farm,
brings him price, when he sells it, from fifty
to two hundred per cent higher than he ever
dreamed of in free-trade times, while sub
stantiatly every domestic article he buys is
from fifty TO two hundred per cent cheaper,
and at the time from from hfty to i've
hundred per cent. better in quality Facts OF
equal potency can be cited without limit in favor
of the policy of protection in its effects upon
all the other industries of the country.
Cardinal Gibbons said, a few days ago, In
sermon preached at Baltimore, just after his
return from extended travels abroad:
After all my observations am prepared to
commend our American institutions The con-
dition of our working people here is far superior
TO that of any of the working classes IN any or
the European countries. Whatever may be the
grievances of the American mechanic l am
prepared to state. the result of my own OBJ
servatIons, that he is better housed, better fed
and clothed than his brethren on the continent
of Europe. Love the land which God hath
given you. 1t is the best earth"
In the presence of such facts at home, and
such testimony from abroad. enough is shown
to the nature Of this question land only that
and not its discussion is intended) to warrant
the assignment of the Republican view with re-
spect TO it another reason for change of polit-
cal control If 1t be said that no harm has come
TO the policy. or injury. IN consequence to the
business of the country, from a Democratic ad-
mnistration, the answer is. that Republican
Senate has made that impossible. Had it not
been for this hindrance, Democratic tendencies
to free trade would have assumed definite form
in legislative enactments as they have in other
respects. The Republican party should be re-
stored to power, therefore. order that there
may be no further progress toward free trade,
and that the necessary reyisions Of the tariff and